The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-26
LOCKED UP HIS REFRESHMENTS.
Why Admiral Chandler and Capt. Sell
fridge Are Said to be Enemies

Why Admiral Chandler and Capt. Sell
fridge Are Said to be Enemies
From Washington Letter to Ne,o York World.
Secretary Whitney is generally COM
mended by the officers of the naval service
resident in Washington for his action in the
Selfridge matter There is a strong DISPOSE
ton in the service to condemn Rear Admiral
Chandler for deposing Capt Selfridge so
summarily and ordering him TO report to
the department, 1000 or 5000 miles away,
without the formality of an inquiry on the
station. Since Capt. Selfridge has been in
Washington, he, in junction with Rear
Admiral Selfridge, retired, his father, has
worked up considerable sentiment against
Admiral Chandler The position of the Sec
rotary was rather difficult. He could not
exculpate Capt. Selfridge or let him down
easy, oven had be been disposed to, without
condemning the Admiral, which would have
been a serious matter from the standpoint of
discipline
1t is admitted that he has adopted Judi
clous course in ordering a court of inquiry
to visit Japan to ascertain on the spot all of
the facts connected with the criminal blum
dering of the Omahas shell practice, which
caused the death Of a number of Japanese
The stories that have reached Washington,
official and unofficial, are incomplete and do
not quite hang together in some essential re-
spects. The Secretary very naturally, there
fore, wants to know what the facts are
Capt. SelfIidge is ordered to return to the
Asiatic station and appear as witness be-
fore the court of inquiry.
1t is believed the circumstances, when as
certained, will develop a case of extreme
careleSsneSs and ignorance of the laws of
Japan and of international law, while it is
also believed that the course of the Admiral
will not be found defenSble under good
naval practice. The inquiry will proceed
Immediately
A story is going the rounds here to the
effect that the bad blood between Chandler
and Selfridge, which is alleged to lie at the
bottom of the row, dates back nearly
twenty years, when they were on duty at
the torpedo station at Newport. The story
runs that both officers We're more or less
convivial in their habits and frequently ell
joyed each others choice refreshments
This state of things is said to have gone on
quite swimmingly for some time, when from
some unfortunate circumstance or combina-
ton of circumstances Selfridge ordered his
steward or yeoman to lock up the refresh
ments during his (Selfridges) absence from
the quarters. This is said to have led, on
one occasion very soon afterwards, to an
embarrassing disappointment TO Chandler,
who had called in the absence of the host
but did not find the refreshments.
This circumstance was so construed by
Mr. Chandler that a very lively GOODNESS
between the two resulted and has been kept
up ever since, not only on the part of the
| gentlemen Immediately concerned, but also
on the part of numerous sisters, cousins and
aunts. 1t is now thought by some people
| that the Admiral has improved this oppOr-
| tunity, the first that has come to him after
twenty years of vigilant watching, to square
the refreshment grudge. 1t seems ridicu
lous to ascribe the big naval fuss on tbs
Asiatic station to so trivial a source but
there is very good authority for believing
that the Newport incident has not beer
without its influence, even after the lapse
of twenty years.